In the newly opened Bidadari Park once a cemetery, now a green refuge for people and migratory birds · lies a scenic lake that can also protect the Bidadari estate from flash floods.
Alkaff Lake is the centrepiece of the roughly 13ha verdant park which is nestled in the middle of the new Bidadari estate.
While it brings back memories of Alkaff Lake Gardens, which stood from around 1930 till the 1960s, the new lake has another, more practical function: To hold storm water to prevent floods in the densely built Bidadari estate during heavy rain.
The first-of-its-kind lake, engineered by national water agency PUB, serves as a natural and biodiversity-friendly retention pond to manage the growing threat of flash floods amid climate change.
Bidadari Park - inspired by Winnie the Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood has different features at every corner, from marshlands to thick groves to rolling hills.
With Alkaff Lake being the lowest point in the estate, rainwater run-off from half of the Bidadari estate will flow into the lake.
Designed to hold up to 40,000 cubic m, or 16 Olympic-size swimming pools' worth of water, its banks and nearby footpaths will be flooded when water levels reach 4m.
But before that happens, warning alerts and beacon lights will be set off to inform the public to stay from the lake.
On sunny days, the lake holds 10,000 cubic m of water, at a depth of about 1.5m.
Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake were officially opened to the public on Sept 3.
Denne historien er fra September 04, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 04, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mbappe could be stripped of captaincy
PARIS France captain Kylian Mbappe is facing criticism in his home country for skipping Les Bleus' Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for his club Real Madrid.
STEWING OVER 'WORST' DEFEAT
Spurs boss slams unacceptable second half’ at Brighton, conceding thrice in 18 minutes
CHRISTIAN IS ROOKIE CHAMP
S’pore driver heads to Eurocup-3’s final round with chance of being overall winner
TENNIS STARS PICK 'SECOND FAMILY'
New coaching partnerships help top players refresh, improve their games
Scepticism over Chinese stocks remains despite world-beating rally
Global fund managers waiting for Beijing to back up stimulus pledges with real money
US scientists win Nobel Prize in medicine for work on microRNA
Duo lauded for discovering new principle of gene regulation for multicellular organisms
Hurricane Milton strengthening as it heads towards Florida
FLORIDA Hurricane Milton is intensifying on its path towards Florida possibly reaching Category 4 power and may spark the largest evacuation in seven years as it aims for the state's Gulf Coast and Tampa.
Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves with race on razor's edge
US presidential candidates scramble for votes in 7 swing states vital to poll victory
China military drills expected soon after Taiwan national day
China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the island to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials say.
Gaza war deadliest conflict for journalists: Observers
Israel refutes claim by advocacy group that it directly targeted 32 media workers